Blah Week

today things like...

randomly picking up bits of the house

stolen moments with Doodle

trying to nap but getting phone calls

quick trips outside then

noticing that p.j's & tank tops are

NOT suitable for outside right now

writing down resolutions

organizmessing yarn

(not quite organizing.. really just moving the mess)

smelling sugar plum fairie tarts

eating mac & cheese outta the pot

and trying to stay awake

... are happening.

seems this week has little meaning when Christmas has just passed and New Year's is right behind, but I am excited to take a friend half way home. I'm going to Atlanta Wednesday and I hope to have a camera working by then :) there's a TWO STORY Target you should all be jealous of. :)

This past week was amazing though. Opening Christmas presents on Christmas morning. I had forgotten how magical it is. Even though Doodle doesn't really know what Christmas is yet, she was STOKED to RIP paper and get new toys. I could see that much in her eyes. She is wore out though. Waking up early everyday and seeing so many people really makes her sleepy. She's taken three naps already today... which is a lot. We've also had company this week! Natalie and her hubby, Duck came and spent the night with us. They are so fun to be around and I always have such a great time with them. I really wish they lived closer so we could hang out more. Natalie cleaned up my laundry room & folded all of our clothes while we were at church... she is a angel I tell you. Only an angel would fold that many clothes and be happy about it. It was really sweet and I kinda cried a little about it. She also got me the most AWESOME presents ever. (She does every year, but she just knows my sweet spots so it's easy for her) I got a BEST FRIEND embroidery wall hanging.. it looks like half of a heart best friend necklace. ITS FREAKING ADORABLE! A hand painted tea mug that says "I love tea." Which I do! A pair of handmade ear rings and a knitting book!!! Lovely gifts, lovely people. I want to do it more often... we can leave out the gifts IF we HAVE to. :)

I hope everyone had a great Christmas week.

I really did.

I think it was the best one I have ever had.

Let's make this week count too!

and to all....

Hello.

This post is full of pictures. I hope you don't mind. :)

Our Christmas Eve will be spent watching this with our cousin and friend Daniel while sipping on Hot Chocolate. Our tree will be lit and our little fireplace will be aglow & all the lights turned out.

What neat holiday traditions do you have?

We Wish You A...

oh em gee

um, where has this etsy store been my whole life & why am I just now finding it!!!!

no engery for real post

do i really have to clean?

i feel so icky.

and tired.

and sleepy.

and it's raining.

and robutussin makes me feel swimmy.

"yes, heather. you HAVE to clean. I'm sorry."

:(

sad.

polaDROID

do you ever just feel...

silly?

i do today.

i feel very silly!

i double dog dare you to post your silly pictures! and link back I wanna sees!

photos made lovely by poladroid

Today I Must

TO DO LIST:

- finish orders placed by people I know

- fold laundry 

- take a shower

- start making christmas presents

- put away clean dishes

- clean bedroom

- clean bathrooms

- bathe doodle

- go somewhere, anywhere today to get out of the house.

:) someone please hold me accountable to at least four of these things so I can feel accomplished today.

So I saw a post recently that was absolutely beautiful and I highly suggest that you all go over and take a peek. I really love that idea. A color Sunday. Of course I couldn't devote myself to something like that because I know I would forget. :P

But I must admit that this obession with mustard yellow is getting a little out of hand. It's just about the only color I can think in. I've been trying to make a hat with some Red Heart in Gold and the pattern that I'm using is SUPER hard. I've already frogged (undid ALL of the crochet) 10 rounds.  :( sad days yesterday on the couch here. i am determined to make this hat.. so I'm regathering myself and getting ready to hit it again. after I do my to do list.

(I've tried to put pictures in this post... the computer hates me right now. Deepest apologies for plain text.)

etsy shopping

i wannait!!!!!!

I am in the shopping world of etsy looking for a cute diaper bag and all you savvy ladies, please tell me who you love for your bag purchases. I must admit that I adore Amy Butler's fabric and anything that is retro, shabby, vintage, bright, so ugly its cute, and the like. have ya'll came across anything you like? please, please share!

my photo :)

i am so behind in every aspect of my life... i don't even feel like catching up.

i have a TON to do this week:

-i HAD an appointment today.. which i just realized I missed.

-crochet things for craft show this weekend & for etsy & orders that have been made

-clean the house tonight before parents come over

-keep the house clean

-wash the mt. everest of dirty clothes

-set up for craft show 

-bonfire @ the rock ranch

-NATALIE IS COMING!!! (super excited!!)

I'm sitting here looking at my daughter, who in 6 days will be 7 months old. She is so grown-up. She is sitting on the couch next to her daddy in her thermal pajamas sitting up playing with the remote and looking generally cute as a button. She's crawling blogger world. CRAWLING. For the past few weeks it's progressed from scooting to crawling and I am so terrified. Now, she's trying to take Daddy's playstation controller and play Madden. Good luck with that. I love her so. So much it makes me want to cry and tell you all how thankful I am for her and what she has done to this once sad heart of mine. This morning we cuddled and played in the softness of our down comforter & each little grin would squint her eyes and lift up her ears. She has such a great attitude! I hope she keeps it & I hope nothing ever breaks her heart or makes her think that she is any thing less than the most beautiful, precious, special thing in all the world. Because, she is. 

Even though I missed a thanksgiving post.. (which I meant to do but had to take my cousin to the hospital because she went into labor at our Thanksgiving Lunch) here is what I'm thankful for

- a home

- my wonderful husband

- my lovely daughter

- friends who love me for who i am

- running water

- a warm bed

- a family that loves me and supports me in everything I do

- yarn & more yarn!!!

- my car

-  breast feeding

- thrift stores

- my church 

- multiple pairs of shoes 

- all the things I have that I complain about.. because without it would be terrible

- earl grey tea

- hot tea

- coffee

:) i could keep going but i think that will suffice for now.

Well, everyone Have a Merry Christmas just incase life gets a little crazy and I'm not back until then!

Chubby Baby Car Seat Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Chubby Baby Car Seat Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

OH MY GOODNESS! this is EXACTLY what i want and need!!!!

christmas on my mind

source

i am SO making one of these for christmas. i have been obsessed with them since about october and really wanted to make one, but didn't come across a good enough deal on a wreath. I found what i'll be using at the dollar tree... my favorite place :)

i had planned on making a TON of ornaments as well this year... but uh... life is getting in the way of those plans. 

i have a craft show coming up & i'm not quite prepared for it at all.. and it looks like the only way I'll be able to get anything new made is to stay up past 12. Which as I'm typing now it's 12.30 and I am so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. (sigh.. i wish i didn't complain so much......)

i have a painting project coming up this week too. my friend destiny and I will be painting a window mural for a community center here in town. excited about it & can't wait to get started.

I really just want to decorate for christmas. i want to turn on my christmas playlist (which is the BEST christmas playlist you will EVER hear:P ) and light up the house and trim it with holly and bunting and handmade things and natural things.

i want a hot cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and my breath to be visable. i want snow and mittens. 

i just love winter. what kind of crazy person am I? 

well, i'm seriously about to slump over the computer.. i promise to do better next time. pictures and paragraphs instead of incomplete sentences. 

<3muchlove3>

p.s. the hubs took me to see NEW MOON tonight. he really does love me. i have to say NEW MOON WAS WAAAAAAAAAAAY BETTER. :D that is all folks. *sigh*

i am so thankful for birthday presents to turn out cute

and loved. :) 

please go look @ natalie's blog to see what she got for her birthday.

i would have posted pictures but we are sadly camera-less at this household still.

of course

haa, according to chelsebell @ always learning it is post-super-old-pictures-of-your-manmate-day.

this is manmate, Robin and I on my graduation trip to Panama City Beach, Fl. I was 18 and he was 17. Oh, these were the days. :) We'd been dating about 4 months. Blissful times.

i'm turning into the cookie monster

images from google search cut out sugar cookies

I am absolutely thrilled for this holiday season! I have a killer no-chill sugar cookie recipe & a SIMPLE royal icing recipe! Robin and I have made a TON of sugar cookies lately & we keep practicing and experimenting with different things! I just can't wait for Thanksgiving! I got cookie cutter set you see at the very top with the leaves and acorn from Wal-Mart last week when they marked all the halloween items for A DOLLAR!!! It was orginally $6! WOO! I was super excited too! I also got some orange decorators icing! This year for christmas I want to go sugar cookie crazy.  I want to decorate tons and tons of cookies for everyone I know and then some for my house. I am so excited about this Holiday Season. I'm not sure why either. Last year I didn't really get into the Holiday "spirit" at all. That may have been because I was constantly sick & a ton of pain in my lower back because of baby business, but this year it is such a different story. I can't wait to get down the Christmas stuff and decorate our house for Christmas for the first time!! Our living room is so small we're going to have to re-arrange it to fit our Christmas tree. It's almost 8 feet tall and I'm wondering exactly where it will go... cause we have an angled celing in our living room & the highest point is where the living room and kitchen join... well we'll see how it all turns out!

As for the awesome recipe's I've found it would be RUDE if I didn't share them, right? Right. :)

No-Chill Sugar Cookies

Easy Royal Icing

For some cookie inspiration, you've got to check out this blog!!!!! 

Have a lovely day, ya'll!!!!!

My Little Pumpkin

halloween 2009

Lovely Give A Way

I just have to share something with you. 

Something lovely and something that will make you envious.

I hate to have to share it, but it benefits me to share it with you!

Spearmint Baby is having a LOVELY give-a-way!

Please go by & check it out. But don't sign up...

because I am being greedy. I want to win this!! :P

I'm feeling quite frisky right now!

But seriously go over there!

Sunday Business

super soft lengthy scarf

in barley, fig and citron

soft round re-useable face scrubbies

i did a little update to my etsy shop. i am really trying to keep items listed & i even re-activated some listings. i'm gearing up for the holidays and I can't wait for Christmas orders!!

I'm also super excited for some CUSTOM orders! It would make my day to make something for someone. I really love crocheting and to know that what I'm making won't just sit in a tote in my craft room brings me the greatest joy. 

So... friends... go 'a shopping!!

Doodle.

today we find Doodle happy to be playing outside

It is raining and dreary, but I'm outside anyways on our porch. We've been keeping Doodle's Exersaucer out here lately due to the nice temperatures. We are a hot natured bunch, Doodle included, so when it gets a little chilly we just put on a jacket or hat. Doodle seriously loves being outside. She is so facinated by trees and things.  It makes me so happy to see her alert and playing and giggling. It's such a precious thing.

I wanted to share with you one of the hats that is at Hissy Fits! Below is the one that turned out to be my favorite! It's "Citron" Green with a "Pumpkin" Flower. These two colors together just make me so excited and happy. I really like the added border on the bottom of this hat. It was a simple single crochet in the back loop only. :) It's mahvolous! Doodle rocks it out nicely too!! I wish I would have gotten a shot of her outfit that day. Daddy dressed her and she had on the purple shirt & orange & black leggings. It was too cute & so mis matched, it made my heart swell. The hubs is a HUGE fan of little girl tights as am I.

quirks

Have you ever realized that you just had a FAVORITE of something, and unless you had that favorite something nothing else compared? Well, that is my case with Lion Brand's Wool Ease Thick & Quick (they could have thought of a simpler title;)...). I've recently made a CRAPton of baby hats. I know more than 12... :D and I am currently hooking another baby hat, but this time using a different yarn. This time I'm using Lion Brand Homespun. It is nice and soft and squishy, but it just doesn't measure up to Thick & Quick for some reason. So.. I've already done 3 rounds and put the hat down because its boring to me. Does this happen to anyone else?! Maybe it's the brown? I don't know.. but I just want to hook with my Thick & Quick. It's so funny, but it makes me irritated. Hopefully I can make it through this hat & get back to the good stuff!

Well, crafty people around the world... I have HUGE news!! Heatherlymade has made it into the RETAIL world!!!! As of today, there are 8, count 'em, EIGHT, baby-toddler-kid hats at Hissy Fits in Griffin, Ga. It's in the Wal-Mart shopping Center in Griffin & they have the CUTEST things there. (Plus, a lot of LOCAL handmade things... like mine!) I am so excited that someone has taken interest in my crochet items and I'm hoping I can drum up some business for myself. I really want my crochet career to take off, but it's seems as if I'm not doing something right. I've only had one sale on Etsy since I've joined. I'm not sure if I don't have enough listings or if I need to promote myself more by joining forums or paying for a spotlight. 

Etsy peoples, have you noticed things that help your etsy out? I really need to sell somethings, because we really need that little extra bit. What are your tips and advice? I really need some motivation and input. So, please share. What works? What doesn't? Take a look at my Etsy... what do you like about it? what DON'T you like about it? I really want to improve. (and sell something :) ) 

p.s. Did I mention that I bought Doodle the sickest tu-tu ever made today @ hissy fits? it's for her halloween costume! It's handmade & oh so cute in white, pumpkin and black with ribbion bits. I CANNOTTT wait for Halloween so she can wear her orange and black striped tights with her pumpkin onesize & her tu tu. I even tried to paint her toenails today (EPIC FAIL!). I can't wait to show youuu!! 

lovely monday

the blue cowl from my etsy shop :)

hello everyone! how was your monday? mine was quite lovely. i think one of the best i've had ever! robin was home (work WILL come in!! and we thank GOD for it!!) and we slept in as late as our little doodle bug would let us. if i were to tell you the hour, you would be super jealous! *ahemtwelveintheafternoonahem* :D she's a sweet little cuddler as long as she has her pacy & you change her diaper when she tells you to & keep her fed. she'll sleep in IF you do all those things. granted she didn't sleep that long, she just let us get in some sleep while she entertained herself in between us. 

then we got all woken up and played with doodle in the bed. she loved that. we cooed and aaahed and laughed. after all that playing we suited up and left for some grocery shopping & errands. she fell cozy & asleep on the way & slept all during our lunch. it was so nice to enjoy lunch without having to keep her entertained or keep her from lunging herself at our food. she woke up while we were on our way to the store. just in time to be cooed over by some grandma who's grandkids lived in texas. i love those little on-lookers, but sometimes they just creep me out. how long can you sit there and stare at a baby? anyways. 

when we got back to the house was when the fun really began. we put up the refrigerated groceries then headed out to the yard to throw the football around. doodle got to get in some quality play time too in her exer-saucer. she loves that little thing. it makes her so happy to hit the buttons & swivel around. robin is trying to condition me in my throwing. we found out i'm pretty decent for a girl, but i throw in a weird way that really hurts my elbow of all places & i can't throw very, very far.  when doodle started getting bored in her exer-saucer, we got her out and strapped her in the stroller for a ride. we started out walking through the woods, but it turned out to be a little too violent in the stroller so we headed back to our drive way then onto the open road. after living her for 7 or 8 months, this was the first time we have ever walked our entire road. it was so nice to see our little neck of the woods close up. we found different kinds of berries, little streams, and puppy friends and other things you just don't see zooming down the road t 60 miles an hour. we clocked our walk at 2.7 miles. it seemed longer than that, but it was such a nice walk. 

it took up the majority of our afternoon walking around and playing around but finally we packed up in the car AGAIN and went to my mama's for some chicken pot pie dinner! 

well, that was my day. :) it was such a nice one, i just had to share it with you!!

rambles.

the hat that started it all. 

i'm still making hats. and it seems that none are as cute as this one. i guess thats the beauty of a great idea. nothing lives up to the original thought. 

i'm trying to keep myself inspired, and for some reason that is very difficult today. 

i haven't been making as many hats as i would like. and the ones that i have made..

well, lets face it... they ain't cutting it. i'm not following a pattern 

& it seems that each hat is going kind of haywire.

i've more so created my own hat recipe. it has it's benefits for me. it has its downfalls. 

right now the downfall is i'm worried things just don't look right.

and i've ran out of black yarn. 

black seems to be everyone favorite choice. 

i need to journey to a craft store....

soon.

what projects are you working on? what has inspired you lately?

p.s. i miss you, granny blanket. i see you over there in the corner eyeing me. i know you feel forgotten.. alas you are not. i'd like to get back to working on you asap. :)

whaat?!

whaaat?

oh dear me. i just tried my hand at embroidery.... uh, i suck. i really do! i also suck at cutting felt. ha, but i gotta keep trying because I have some pretty awesome ideas bumping around in my tangle of thoughts. if i can get these tangles sorted out then i think i will have the cutest little craftiness i have ever made or thought up!!!

i am so sad though. i am still camera-less. there are tons of things that i go to get the camera to take pictures of then i remember, "oh... the cameraS are broke." :( sayad. 

so, this weekend there was an AWESOME cold snap. i'm talking sweater, long sleeve, hat, scarf, socks, boots, hot beverage weather!! it was so lovely. we went to a festival in a little small town about an hour from home & walked around until it started raining & vendors called it quits in the frigid temps. doodle was wearing her hat & i got TONS of compliments & WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT!?!?'s. of course, i didn't have any cards with me *slaps head* DOH! but i wrote down my etsy store for some people & told them to check soon & i would have some infant hats up soon. :) i also may start doing some consignment work. i'm not sure how it all works out, but i'm excited for the chance to get out there. i just need to be a little more confident & chatty. i don't know why but i have a hard time trying to sell my own things. by that i mean, i have a hard time selling it up with words. i'm not as chatty lately & it just makes me ill. 

i have a new investor.... this is going to sound so funny, but it's my mom. she took me to the store today & bought me some yarn, felt, embroidery floss & needles. she's officially my private investor. she's hoping i can get a bunch of hats made for her to sell at work & for me to sell on consignment & to individuals. so fingers crossed everyone! fingers crossed! 

can i ask you guys a question? what would make my blog more fun? i've seen things like "what im wearing today" or "my journal entry" or "etsy finds" or reviews... but what do you like to read about? what do you like to see? let me know!!! ;)

well, thats all folks! have a g'night!

winner winner chicken dinner!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JENNIFER!!

she's the winner of the handmade give-a-way (set of cotton coasters, a coffee cozy in mustard, a pair of button stud earrings & teal owl earrings)!!! I'm so excited for her and can't wait to e-mail her and talk with her a little bit! Jennifer, if you see this I need your e-mail :) you can e-mail me @ heatherxdawn@gmail.com

To all of you lovely ladies out there who commented & tweeted & posted, thank you all so much! I'm pretty sure I'll host another give-a-way soon & I hope you will all come back and try to win some lovely freethings! 

Well, Jennifer I'll be e-mailing you when I post this!!! 

Everyone have a lovely weekend.

Right now I'm freaking out watching "The Mist" with the hubs & Daniel. Freaaaaking me out. I don't do well with scary movies! 

Toodles!!!